Many animals, particularly dogs, enjoy chewing on things, although preferences may vary as to the hardness of the substances favored. Some dogs may like to chew on very hard materials such as cow bones, wood and nylon, while others may prefer softer chews such as polyurethane or rubber or starch-based edible formulations. Still others may favor freeze dried snacks. Some dogs, due to their age, may not be able to chew on very hard substances. Young dogs may have insufficiently developed teeth, while old dogs may have diseased gums or may have lost some of their teeth. Accordingly, softer and more readily consumable chews may be preferred.
Pet toys such as dog chews may be produced in nearly any shape by melt processing, particularly bone shapes, generally having larger ends and a smaller elongated shaft to allow the dog to easily pick them up. The ends may generally be bulbous and may be in the shape of a condyle. Dogs generally will hold one end of a dog chew between their paws in order to chew the body portion.
Furthermore, chew toys may be used as a vehicle to provide interaction between dogs and people. For example, some people like to play fetch with dogs using sticks, balls, flying disks, etc. Other people like to play “tug-of-war” with their animals, using the condyle to grasp the chew. The interaction between pets and their owners has reportedly been found to be not only beneficial to the pet, as it provides the pet with necessary exercise and companionship, but beneficial to their owners as well, with many reported health related benefits.
The prior art is replete with disclosures directed at forming a variety of chew toys. However, there remains a need to provide chew toys that fulfill other requirements. For example, it may also be useful to provide pet chews that are interesting not only to pets, but to the pet owners as well. Additionally, it may also be useful to provide pet chews that enhance the feel of the chew to the pet or owner. Accordingly, a pet toy of novel construction may be directed to sparking the interest of, not only the pet, but children, teenage or adult owners, which may increase the time period that owners engage with their animals.
Further, it may be preferred that such chew toys comprise more than one material such that a variety of chewing experiences may be provided for the pet. Towards that end, if different materials having different physical properties, such as hardness or durability, can be combined into a single chew, one of the materials may be used as a holder for the other.
Edible dog chews have been marketed which have a comparatively short shelf life and therefore must be replaced at frequent intervals. With a chew toy of two different materials, it is possible that when the more edible material has been consumed, that the remaining portion will be thrown away. What is needed is a combination of durable chew holder and replaceable chews in a variety of shapes that may be connected to the holder and provide a means for holding the chew either by the animal or by the animal owner.